All new LED lighting with a little twist...

[Chops]

Looking good. You probably have the license plate bulbs in backward. LEDs are polarity dependent.

Not for the licence plate bulbs. They only have the center contact on the bottom. The rest of the housing is the other part of the contact. It makes no sense. All of the other LED's work just fine, it's just these two that are DOA. Hmm...

[— Agent☣Orange —]

Oh, sorry. I was thinking of the blade type on my NB. No worries though. Do a test on each bulb by running a pos and neg wire to the battery and then to the tip and barrel of the bulb. If it doesn't light up, switch the wiring to the tip and barrel. If it lights up then, you know it's good and that you'll have to change the wiring to the bulb sockets in your car.

I converted a trickle charger to be a 12v power supply for my bench. I always test new LED bulbs when I get them in just to know if they're defective.


*just a little clarification since I got asked. When I said run a positive and negative wire to the battery to test bulbs, I meant open the trunk, stand next to the battery and run a couple wires a couple feet long (like speaker wire). Don't have to get fancy here, you're just testing to see if a bulb works or not or which side is + and -

[brownmiata]

Sounds cool. I see cars all the time here in cali with these lights but usually they are little squares on the rear bumper. I always think that its a wiring flaw. What are they for? you say rear fog light? Is it to see the civic lights behind you. (sorry couldn't resist a honda pun)

[Chops]

Oh, sorry. I was thinking of the blade type on my NB. No worries though. Do a test on each bulb by running a pos and neg wire to the battery and then to the tip and barrel of the bulb. If it doesn't light up, switch the wiring to the tip and barrel. If it lights up then, you know it's good and that you'll have to change the wiring to the bulb sockets in your car.

I converted a trickle charger to be a 12v power supply for my bench. I always test new LED bulbs when I get them in just to know if they're defective.

I was just talking to my girlfriend about these LED's and was telling her that I was wondering if the polarity of the sockets were backwards for the LED's. I bet that's it and now you just posted pretty much the same thing I was thinking. LOL

Maybe I'll see if I can test this theory out tomorrow. I'd really like to get these going.

[— Agent☣Orange —]

In other parts of the world, cars come equipped with rear fog lights (a single red light not a pair of bright white or amber lights we refer to as fog lights here).

They are either integrated into the left or right side tail lights (UK vs Euro spec) or what looks like an aftermarket, squarish, rectangular or round red light under the bumper to one side.

[Chops]

Sounds cool. I see cars all the time here in cali with these lights but usually they are little squares on the rear bumper. I always think that its a wiring flaw. What are they for? you say rear fog light? Is it to see the civic lights behind you. (sorry couldn't resist a honda pun)

It's exactly what it says it is, a rear fog light. These originated in Europe and Asia where there's a LOT of fog on the roads. Heavy thick fog. It just helps people behind you see your car sooner than they would with their own headlights glaring back on themselves, or your much dimmer rear parking lights.

[Chops]

When I was sitting in my girlfriend's office parking lot waiting on her to get out of work, I turned the key onto the ignition position and put the car in reverse. That red LED in the left backup light works perfectly and is just the right intensity for a rear fog light. I can't wait to get it wired up properly this weekend.

[ChrisSWT]

Please show us how you wired the rear fog light. i always wanted one but dont know where to start --'

[Chops]

Please show us how you wired the rear fog light. i always wanted one but dont know where to start --'

All I did was buy a super bright red LED to replace the regular clear bulb in the left backup light. What I haven't done yet (but will this weekend) is tap into the parking light circuit and use that to feed the fog light LED. The right backup light still functions as the backup light. I'll eventually run a pair of wires up to the dash to a switch that I can use to turn off the fog light if I want, though I won't be in any big hurry to do so.

It's a very simple procedure to do.

[— Hammerhead —]

Where did you source the LED lights for your project? I've been wanting to do this for a while.

[IanL]

Reading comprehension FTW...

@Chops, looking good man!

[Chops]

Where did you source the LED lights for your project? I've been wanting to do this for a while.

Hey John, I bought the LEDs from superbrightleds.com.

On a side note, I also did the blinker relay mod today during my lunch break, which involved replacing the stock 5.6k ohm resistor with a 1meg ohm resistor. Both are 1/4 watt. Works like a charm!

[imperfekt]

i like the fog light... but with my luck, a cop would see the extra light on the driver's side, proceed to pull me over and tell me part of my passenger's tail light wasn't working, and then write me a ticket... lol

Just for fun, I was looking around on CR.net and found that member "VincentMiata" did the same thing to his NA. Except he used a dual color LED, white for reverse and red for fog. Judging from the pic, it looks like the rear fog idea might actually work pretty good. Of course, cameras can lie.

Attachment 1894

[— Phatmiata —]

Saw it tonight when he swung by the house after work, they're pretty damn bright!! I want to upgrade all my lights to LED now! Nice job!

[Chops]

Reading comprehension FTW...

@Chops, looking good man!

Thank you Ian!

i like the fog light... but with my luck, a cop would see the extra light on the driver's side, proceed to pull me over and tell me part of my passenger's tail light wasn't working, and then write me a ticket... lol

I doubt that would happen. At least, I hope not.

Saw it tonight when he swung by the house after work, they're pretty damn bright!! I want to upgrade all my lights to LED now! Nice job!

Thanks bro! The BRG is a slow, on going project, but it'll be up there one day. I'm gonna see if I can get the rest of the LEDs (the license plate and fog light) wired up tomorrow morning before I go into work. It shouldn't take that long to do.